From An Artist's Perspective
by Surf-merGirl1963
Summary: A different take on the 4th book in this series: For All Time. Please R&R!
1. Part I

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own any of the characters from these fabulous books.

**Author's Note:**

I am currently re-reading _For All Time_ and just thought I'd write a short fan fiction for it. I picked a very unusual POV character mentioned briefly in book #4. I hope you all enjoy it! Please R&R to let me know what you think. :)

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Part I

Jadyn Wright gazed long and hard at the statue towering above her. She took in every detail: It's cracked surface, it's cream and alabaster sides, the curves and slopes of the subject. Art. It was beautiful. It was adept. She lived and breathed it.

Jadyn was a dreamer, an artist. She loved nothing more than spending her weekends alone with her sketchbook at the _Metropolitan Museum_ in New York City. It was a freeing experience for her: an escape from the suffocation of college life. This is why she liked coming to the museum. In her 'fraying black' sweats, and worn _Converse_ sneakers, Jadyn felt like she finally had the room to breath, imagine, and create. When it was just she and the artwork, she could do no wrong.

Speaking of no wrong, she looked down at her charcoal black drawing. It would be a perfect addition to her school portfolio. Her professor would be astounded. She thought it her best piece so far. The statue provided such a vast variety of textures, shades, and shapes. It was sure to be an A+ assignment.

At a quarter past ten, Jadyn finally looked up from her sketchbook. Her eyes widened when she spotted a teenaged girl, dressed in an outrageously out-dated outfit, stride by as if she had a distinct purpose. Jadyn's artist-instincts instantly went into overdrive. Now, there was an interesting subject! She decided to follow the girl and ask some questions.

_You're in 1999. Why are you dressed like an 18__th__ century explorer?_

_It's a new fashion trend. _

_Really? Well, would you mind if I sketched you?_

_Sketched me?_

_I'm an artist. I major in the unique and bizarre. _

She could already picture the interesting conversation in her head. Crazy city kids. Popular trends jumped on them like fleas. If this girl continued tromping around town in that type of attire, it wouldn't be long before the whole teenaged population of New York was dressing in the very same way. Jadyn looked down at her black sweats, belt, and sneakers. Well, almost all of New York. She didn't think she'd be giving up her personal sense of style anytime soon. After all, she needed a trademark and all-black, lazy-day clothes were hers.

Quickly packing up her supplies, Jadyn got up from the floor and trailed the girl into an adjoining room. It was where some photographs hung of the _Lightner Expedition 1899. _Jadyn had read all about the new additions in the newspaper. She paused in the doorway and watched as the strange girl inspected the various photographs as if searching for somebody.

_Weird._ The girl carefully studied each face then stole a look at a nearby guard before suddenly hurrying on to the next room. Jadyn followed again, this time at a safer distance. An uncomfortable feeling settled into the pit of her stomach. Had she just stumbled upon something big? Was this strangely clad girl an art thief? Jadyn hoped not, but then again, she hoped _so_. She couldn't help but want a little adventure, and being a witness to a crime was sure an adventure to have. Then again, she didn't want anything bad to happen to any of the artwork or artifacts. Being an artist, she had a respect for these types of things and recognized their value.

When she entered the next room, she saw the girl impatiently pushing herself through a crowd of tourists that had formed around the latest artifact to the museum: a photograph of the exploration team that had uncovered the tomb of Hetepheres. She watched from a close distance as the girl made her way to the front of the dissipating mob and then as she nudged a teenaged boy aside with her shoulder. She studied this photograph as she did so and uttered two words, "Oh, Strat."

_Strat?_ Jadyn didn't understand, but the boy beside the girl answered her call and the young artist then decided that the two must know eachother and that was the boy's name. Was this boy the mysterious girl's accomplice? She couldn't help but blush at the sight of the handsome young man.

Cargo pants, blue sweater, disheveled dark hair… he reminded her of a student she had met once at the art college. But that boy was only a photography student named Noel Brady, and Jadyn's crush on him had all but dissolved when he graduated the year after she started school. This boy was younger, and more interesting as he had a very fascinating name: Strat. How artistic! How remarkable! Who was this boy and who was this girl? How did they know eachother and why did the girl dress so oddly? Were they art thieves, or purely artists like herself and Noel who were, more often then not, sadly misunderstood?

Jadyn's thoughts were soon rudely interrupted as a large group of schoolchildren burst into the room. The young artist quickly found herself being pushed off to the side, juggling her art equipment as several of the children buzzed past. Field trip. Jadyn hated those days.

"Excuse me!" She tried to look over the heads of the bantering middle-school students as they buzzed around the exhibition, trying hard to pick out the two mysterious teenagers in the crowd. Where were Strat and his lady friend? She hoped she hadn't lost them, but her pleas went unnoticed as the children chattered and the teacher read aloud from nearby plagues.

Jadyn couldn't help but feel a little angry. "Excuse me! Artist coming through!" She began to shove her way through the milling crowd, getting called various names from all over the middle-school spectrum. _Back at you. _She thought glumly as an especially daring child let a high school retort slip.

She ended her wild jaunt over by a statue of Sekhmet (she recognized it, having sketched it the day before) and looked over to the spot where she had last seen the 'partners in crime'. They were still by the photograph, apparently talking about it. She felt then that she would have wagered almost anything to hear what was being said. Were they admiring it, swapping facts, or trying to devise a plan on how to get it out of there?

Then she caught a few words, "Hiram Stratton Junior." _Hiram Stratton Junior?_ What did it mean or rather, who was it? Was that the full name of this boy called Strat? Hiram Stratton Junior? Jadyn wrinkled her nose in disgust. She understood why he shortened it.

"What was your name again?"

Jadyn leaned in a bit, as the girl spoke.

"It's Lockwood Stratton. But everyone just calls me Strat."

_How many names has this guy got? _Jadyn looked to the face of the girl and noticed she looked very confused and almost longingly at her male companion. Maybe the two didn't know eachother. Maybe the strange girl thought he was Hiram Stratton but he corrected her? Jadyn shook her head. Maybe she shouldn't just guess, maybe she should just go up and introduce herself?

But just as she was about to make her move, the two suspects walked away from the display and headed towards a different part of the museum. "Oh drat!" She ignored the strange look she got from a middle school girl with blonde pigtails and quickly followed in haste. She couldn't let them get away now. Her mind was still swarming with questions she needed to put it at rest.

She skitted to a stop as the two teens suddenly stopped on the stairs where all the museum donators were listed in stone. The girl seemed to be swooning and then about fainted on the steps. Strat caught her gently under the arms.

"Is she alright? What's wrong? Did she skip breakfast or something?" A worried guard approached the duo. Jadyn tried hard to blend into the gathering crowd.

"She'll be alright. I've got her. We're going to the cafeteria anyways. I'll make sure she gets something to eat."

How considerate Strat was. Jadyn thought it a shame if he were truly an art thief.

"Excuse me." She watched as he helped the girl to her feet and led her towards the museum cafeteria. She followed them slowly this time, knowing exactly where they were going.


	2. Part II

**Part II**

When Jadyn finally made it to the museum cafeteria, it didn't take her long pick the two teens out of the crowd. One glimpse of the girl's billowing white sleeves and Jadyn knew she had found them. They were seated at a table in the middle of the room. The girl looked fatigued, and from the way Strat was sitting (Jadyn could only see the back of his head) he seemed to be concerned.

_Who are these people anyways? She dresses funny, he has a funny name, they are both interested in the photographs in the Egypt room, and then she almost faints on the stairs. _It was strange, and Jadyn was both curious and confused. Even her own actions were bewildering her. Why was she following these two people? If she had any suspicion that they could be art thieves, shouldn't she be telling somebody, like the police? But she didn't want to get someone in trouble under such vague suspicions. She wanted to be right before she was wrong.

"Oh! Excuse me!" Jadyn's eyes were momentarily torn from the pair as she collided with a museum guest and his lunch tray. Her arms failed her and she dropped her sketchbook and charcoal to the ground. She bent down to pick them up, along with the young man's lunch.

"You should learn to be more careful," He said as he helped her clean up the mess.

The voice was familiar to her, so she looked up. What she saw, surprised her. "N-Noel?"

"Do we know eachother?" He searched her face.

Jadyn had to admit; she had probably changed in the last three years, but Noel Brady certainly hadn't. He still had those gorgeous brown eyes and the dark hair... "Jadyn Wright. We went to the same art school together. You hosted the campus tour my Mom and I were on a couple of years back."

"Oh yeah, little Jadie."

_Jadie?_ Jadyn had almost forgotten the nickname. Hearing him say it again warmed her.

"So," He scooped up the last of his sandwich onto the tray. "What brings you to the Museum?"

"Sketching. School project." Jadyn held up her sketchbook for him to see.

He reached for it. "Mind if I take a look?"

"No!" She hugged it to her, feeling suddenly self-conscious. "I-I mean, you know how it is. We artists and all?"

"Highly secretive and all that jazz, eh?" He nodded. "Yeah, I can respect that."

They both rose steadily to their feet. Jadyn then spotted the camera hanging around his neck. "Are you here to take pictures?"

"Oh no." Noel shook his head. "I was already doing that in the park this morning. I just thought I'd stop in here to grab a bite to eat and see that new photograph the newspaper's been blubbering on about."

His comment reminded Jadyn of her original means that drew her to the cafeteria. She hastily looked back to the table where the two teens had been seated. The girl was now gone, but Strat remained, looking quite confused.

"Something wrong?"

Jadyn's gaze snapped back to Noel. "Huh? What?"

"You seemed concerned about something, I was just wondering if you were alright?"

"Uh…" Though she had never been that close to Noel Brady, Jadyn wondered if it would be so bad to let him in on her suspicions? After all, she had the need for an ally and Noel was here and had about as over-reactive as an imagination as she. They'd be on the same page, not to mention, he had a camera, just in case Strat and his partner ended up being criminals, they could snap a picture, and hand it over to the police. Then again, Noel was three years her senior. He might think she was just being melodramatic.

"Um… no. I actually," She stole another look over at Strat. He seemed to be leaving the cafeteria now, walking feverishly, as if he were searching for someone. "I was actually just thinking," Strat was headed for the restroom area, "I was just thinking that I'd go wash this charcoal off of my hands and then take in more of the exhibits."

"Great." Noel emptied his lunch tray off into a nearby trashcan. "Why don't we go together? That is, if you don't mind?"

Jadyn nearly gasped out loud. "_Together_?"

"That's alright isn't it?"

There was something magical happening in that museum; Jadyn just knew it. First, she finds a perfect statue to illustrate for her portfolio, then, she stumbles across the two mysterious teenagers who are possible art-thieves and then, bumping into her old crush at the cafeteria and he asks to accompany her through the museum. She couldn't seem too anxious. No, even if the blush that came to her cheeks was giving her away, she couldn't let him know that her old feelings for him were rushing back in razing torrents. "Sure." She tried an easy smile that came out kind of crooked. "I'll only be a minute." She headed towards the restrooms.

"I'll wait for you here." Noel called back.

Jadyn didn't have to hide her smile as she scurried away. How perfect was that?

Once reaching the bathroom area, she spotted Strat sitting on a bench outside of the ladies' room. _Does that mean the girl is inside? _Luckily for Jadyn, she didn't have to wait to see. She casually walked past the bench and into the woman's restroom. To her surprise, the room was empty.

Now, she was more than certain that she had stumbled across something shady. The girl had to be in here. Her friend was waiting outside. Jadyn began knocking on the doors to the various stalls. All of them swung open. _Empty._ The young artist was confused. Where had the mysterious girl gone?


	3. Part III

**Part III**

When Jadyn emerged from the women's room, she found Noel sitting on the same bench Strat had been only minutes before.

"Long line?" Noel asked her, but she ignored the question, asking one of her own.

"How long ago did you get here?"

He paused a moment before answering, obviously mystified by her inquiry. "No longer than thirty seconds. Why? Something wrong, Jadie?"

She looked down at him, and suddenly he looked very much like Strat. Dark hair, those eyes…where had the boy gone? Had she missed both he and the girl? Were they heading to another part of the museum to scope out the security system? "There was a young man sitting here when I entered, do you know where he went?"

The grin that lit his face was bright and mischievous. "Oh, so I see now. You're following some guy around you're sweet on."

"You're way off!" She protested. The large outburst turned a few heads, so she instantly claimed the seat next to Noel and tried to act casual. "No," She continued in a low tone. "It's something much more serious." She had to tell him her suspicions now; there was no getting around it.

Noel's eyebrows raised, but he said nothing, waiting for her to continue.

"You see, that boy," She glanced around to make sure no one was listening, "Is a probable art thief."

"A what?"

There, she had said it, and he thought she was crazy. The shame of it all! Jadyn would have liked to disappear if she wasn't so concerned about the museum. "Oh Noel, you don't have to believe me. Laugh all you want. Get it out of your system, just tell me where he went!"

But Noel's expression was serious. "It's not that I don't believe you, Jadie, I do… it's just …the shock, that's all."

"Well? Then which way'd he go? C'mon, Noel…" Jadyn was getting impatient. She couldn't lose this guy now. Especially since it seemed like they were getting so close to the climax. If they were museum robbers, they were sure to strike soon.

"Uh... this way!" Noel took her hand and pulled her to her feet. He then took off towards the Ancient Egypt section, pulling her along behind him. Jadyn struggled hard to keep up, swallowing back all the fluttery feelings that came along with the realization that Noel Brady, was actually holding her hand.

…

When they arrived, Jadyn was out of breath and all the fluttery feelings had stopped. The artist and the photographer decided to split up in order to cover more ground.

Jadyn rested her hands on her knees. She really needed to get more exercise. "If we don't find him in here, search the rest of the Egypt sections, then, branch out. We can meet up in the cafeteria at five, when this place closes."

Noel nodded and took a left. Jadyn watched him leave, almost feeling sad inside. _Cheer up._ She urged herself. _You'll see him again_. _The important thing is that he believes you and now you have some help. _

She straightened, and began scanning faces in the crowd, hoping for a glimpse of Strat or his strange company. Jadyn saw neither. _Oh, why didn't I wait with him? It would have been a lot easier than deciding to chase after her._ She sighed and continued the search.

An hour later, she had been through all the Egypt related sections and headed, next, to the art gallery. She paused a moment to rest on a bench. She was exhausted. All the running around had really taken its toll on her. She watched as a few elderly women walked past and then a security guard who eyed her suspiciously.

_He should be searching for them._ She thought and frowned. He wouldn't be searching for t_hem_, as she called them. Only Noel knew of her suspicions and there was still a slim possibility that she was wrong. She sighed and rubbed her calves, trying to sooth the sore muscles.

And it is here, she saw him.

_Strat!_ Jadyn clumsily got to her feet and rushed towards him. He was in the next room, the last room of the Ancient Egypt section, and he was fast asleep by a display case in a corner. Or was he asleep? Maybe was unconscious?

She wouldn't doubt it. Perhaps, like all criminal pairs, the boy and the girl had gotten into a silly argument and then the strangely-dressed ringleader decided to be rid herself of her once-business-partner. Jadyn shuttered. It wouldn't be the first time two criminals had started to work against one another. Hesitantly, she reached out her hand and pressed two fingers to the boy's neck, checking for a pulse.

She breathed a sigh of relief at the feel of the beating, hard and even against her fingertips. He was alive, sleeping, which seemed even more strange than unconscious to Jadyn, but alive just the same.

"Jadie?"

She looked up just as Noel came over to her and the slumbering crook.

"You found him! What's he…?"

"Sleeping." Jadyn responded with a shrug and then rose to her feet, joining Noel at a spectator's distance. "I don't get it." She said, tilting her head to one side as her eyes, once more, glided over the face of the sleeping youth. "Why would two people come to a museum to look at old Egyptian relics, eat lunch, act suspiciously, only to, in the end, sleep in some exhibit's corner?"

Noel shrugged. "Maybe it's a plot?"

"I don't know…" Jadyn tapped her chin thoughtfully, trying to make sense of the situation. The girl was still missing, and her associate was snoring away by the reflection pool. Was this guy meant to be some sort of a distraction? Maybe, while this guy slept, the girl was already getting ready to steal her first piece of history. Maybe… "Noel!" Jadyn suddenly grabbed the sleeve of the photographer urgently. "I think I figured it out!"

"What?" Noel looked down at her, confused.

But Jadyn was too excited to be disillusioned, "Noel, this guy wasn't working alone. When I first caught word of his plan, he was talking with someone. A girl dressed like somebody out of the late 1800s. She was the one I chased to the woman's bathroom, but then she wasn't there. Noel," She looked away from him momentarily allowing her eyes to wander across the expanse of the room. "What if this guy is meant to be a distraction while his friend starts stealing the art?"

"Hey… you might have something there, Jadie."

When she turned back, Noel had freed himself from her grasp and was creeping over to the sleeping youth. "What are you doing?" She asked urgently, her voice suddenly in a whisper.

Noel held a finger to his lips. "Hey, chill out. I'm just checking to see if this guy has any identification on him. It would be helpful if we had at least name to feed the police just in case we lose him."

Jadyn quieted instantly and watched as Noel gently patted the boy's pockets. He soon came up with a wallet, which he gingerly pulled from Strat's kakis and opened. Jadyn waited anxiously. Noel poked around inside and then closed the wallet, sliding it slowly back into the pocket it had come from.

"Well?" Jadyn pressed restlessly when Noel returned to her side.

"His name's Lockwood Stratton, Eighteen years old, with a New York state driver's license."

She cringed, "Only Eighteen? What an age to start a life of crime."

"Well, there's always a chance that you could be wrong?"

"A slim chance. If you heard what I heard, you wouldn't be second-guessing me."

Noel shrugged. "Okay then. What next, master spy?"

When Jadyn looked back up at him, she noticed he was smiling. Unfortunately, she wasn't in a cheery mood, so she didn't return the favor. "I don't know. Should we wake him up, or go look for his partner?"

Noel scratched his chin thoughtfully. "If we both go chasing after her, we run the risk of losing him…"

Jadyn nodded. "So, maybe one of us should stay here and the other one go looking for the girl?"

"Right."

"Okay…" Jadyn took one last look at the sleeping boy, "Why don't _you_ stay here? After all, I'm the only one of us who has actually seen the girl."

Noel nodded. "Okay." He wandered over to a nearby bench and sat down. She followed him slowly.

"Don't let him out of your sight for a minute. If he goes anywhere, follow him, alright?"

"Alright."

"Okay..." She turned to leave, but then, he grabbed her arm suddenly, stopping her. She turned back to him, as he spoke.

"Be careful." He said, leveling a no nonsense gaze on her own. "And there are museum guards all over the place so…"

"If I need help, I shouldn't hesitate to ask for it, I know, I know." All the magic of Noel's first caring words, melted away with that final statement. _It's like having an older brother_. She thought miserably and walked off to start her search. It was already 2:38. She had barely three hours before the museum would close for the night.

Jadyn could only hope she would find the strange girl in time.


	4. Part IV

**Part IV**

Jadyn started her search where she had left off, in the art gallery. The young artist resisted the urge to enjoy the paintings as she trudged along looking in every nook and cranny (not to mention every woman's bathroom and gift shop) along the way. She hoped for just a glance of the billowing white sleeves and kaki pants of the suspect. She saw neither and such a thing bothered her.

_She must be someplace flagged off-limits to museum guests._ She thought as she started through the cafeteria a second time. There was still no sight of the mysterious girl. _She may already be in the security room._ _Where is it I wonder, and how can I get in there? _

She knew the direction her thoughts were headed could be dangerous. What if she was wrong and a security officer caught her where she didn't belong? She knew that whatever happened, each option could prove hazardous. _But I must know! I don't want to call the red alert yet. There's still that very slim chance that I'm wrong. _

She watched as a member of museum security suddenly passed her by. She wondered if he could lead her to where she wanted to go, but knew that such tactics would take too long. The only thing she was sure of now was that she was running out of time and people just didn't disappear into thin air. No. That girl was someplace in the museum and up to something malicious!

Suddenly, she happened upon a door at the end of a hallway. _Museum Employees Only_: the sign on the door read. Jadyn took a quick look around to see if she was being watched. The current room was empty. She grasped the door handle and offered up a silent prayer. _Please don't make an alarm go off._

She turned the handle and pushed it open. No buzzer sounded. She sighed in relief. _Thank goodness!_ Quickly, she entered and closed the door softly behind her. An empty hallway met her extending forward for at least fifty feet. _Where do I look first?_ Rising on her tiptoes, she began her search.

…

Elsewhere in the Museum, Noel was experiencing a similar frustration to Jadyn, but, unlike her, it didn't ruin his day. No, he was actually in a fairy cheery mood. He praised himself for having thought of the museum as a great place for taking photographs. Now, not only was he living his first adventure, he had also found the perfect subject for his next piece: Jadyn Wright.

Of course, Jadyn didn't know anything about this yet. Actually, Noel was still trying to come up with the nerve to ask her. She was so different. With her dark hair and distinctive sense of style, she would be a truly unique subject for his next photo. He thought about the fountain in the park. It would be a good place to take the picture. A good mix of elegance and grunge. It would surly be a 4.0 project. Now, all he had to do was ask her, and persuade her that it was a good idea.

"Can I help you find anything?"

Noel turned as he was addressed by a pretty museum worker. She smiled at him and he smiled back.

"Um… no thank you. I was just resting." He scooted over as she claimed the space on the bench beside him.

"I just love Egyptian artifacts, don't you?" Her gaze wandered to the reflecting pool.

Noel nodded, his eyes staying trained on the sleeping youth in the corner. The young man still hadn't moved. Noel wondered how Jadyn was making out finding his accomplice.

"Is something wrong?"

When Noel turned back around, he noticed the museum worker was looking at him. Her inquisitive gaze flitted back between the college photographer and the sleeping student.

"Um…er… no." Noel answered quickly. He looked back to the sleeping youth, trying to come up with a suitable excuse. "He's just exhausted. You know, finals week and all; and I, being the mean older brother I am, drug him along on my museum visit and the poor ol' boy just totally conked out."

The woman didn't look like she believed him, but she didn't call his bluff either. "Well, I suggest you wake him and take him home where he can get some suitable rest." Her friendliness had now faded and she rose from her seat.

"Yes, ma'am." Noel nodded and rose as well, trying to make it seem like he planned to do just that. He waited for the lady to leave before taking his seat again and nervously looking at his watch. An hour had gone by and there was still no sign of Jadyn. _C'mon girl, where are you? _

He looked back at the snoozing boy, thinking maybe it was time that somebody woke him up. After all, he couldn't really leave him, and the museum guide could come back any minute and find out he hadn't really done anything about his 'brother' at all.

Making a final decision, Noel stood up and went to the boy's side. Then, grasping both of his shoulders, Noel began to shake. "Hey, kid. Wake up."

The boy's eyes suddenly flew open. Confusion flooded his features as his eyes focused on Noel. "What…who are you?"

Noel couldn't help but smirk as he offered this next line. "Guess."


End file.
